His FIRST Category 3 Race - (Merced Criterium CAT 3/4)

[@Torontoflatlander]

Coach - Be selective in your chasing EJ - "HAHA EJ GO BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!"

[@thedistance1155]

Hes gonna get away!! Chase it

[@letriciabrowder2942]

Lol!!

[@immikemx]

250 watts recovery? That's ftp for so many riders! Even riders who have been training for years. This guy EJ is not normal, I mean the progression he has made in such a short amount of time shows he's a natural, he has a powerful engine, and he's naturally above the rest of the population. Good for him, he discovered his call in life haha.

[@8584zender]

Right? I mean he's a bigger rider but in a crit, with a 350W FTP and 1500W sprint he can compete in P12. Without a team, it would be a challenge, but that'll come.

[@ronm7114]

Normal for a good amateur racer. Its high fs though

[@roebbiej]

250 is not his recovery, it's only recovery from a hard effort. It's not zone 1 it you know what I mean. For him it's probably high endurance/ low tempo zone

[@geisslersonMC]

in absolute watts yes, for comparison we would need w/kg though :)

[@Blaghna808]

@@geisslersonMC I think he’s about 6’1” 85kg. Definitely high for his weight but he’s athletic and has great fitness. I outweigh him by 9kg and my z2 starts at 200w, so it’s not unheard of.

EJ is the reason I’m even vaguely interested in cycling. Now I can’t stop watching this series on both channels!

[@666zhang666]

Stop watching. Start cycling.

@@666zhang666 I can’t keep watching and start cycling? Haha

[@123moof]

These running commentaries of what is actually going on finally make bike racing understandable and interesting. Also humbling. Been riding bikes in one way with almost no gaps for about 40 years, and can't fathom the kind of fitness EJ got himself into so quickly. Mad respect.

[@8584zender]

Just don't expect to come out of 6 months of training (or even after 6 years of training) with a 350W FTP and 1500W sprint.

[@al-du6lb]

@@8584zender how much does EJ weigh?

[@briangilkey8683]

That Dolce rider looked like an giant behind the original breakaway rider. Guy was a monster.

[@greggarrett8619]

That's the person to sit behind for sure.

[@laniernelson1019]

Hilariously true!

[@natthiaskeidel]

Maybe due to background compression from a big focal length lens the rider looked more massive

[@locsmiths]

Def a case of a slightly bigger than average guy next to a slightly smaller than average guy.

[@opex8396]

Best cyling channel

[@jimmynickelz]

Agreed

[@Ian_Laing]

@@jimmynickelzagreed

[@the_joe_reynolds_foundation]

You're a frigging beast, EJ! But don't cat up TOO quick. There's an art to learning HOW to win, and it's easier to learn when you have the opportunity to be at the pointy end of the race. Upgrading too soon doesn't allow as many chances to hone that skill. Keep killing it!

[@letriciabrowder2942]

I'm such a huge EJ fan you guys, like this dude is going places. Wishing him all the best!

[@KelvinSuddith]

Thanks EJ and NorCal Cycling, I’m 8 days out from my first crit. Couldn’t swing the course, but I’ve done my best just following these and the vlogs. From 236 to 279 in 5 weeks! Just now tapering off. Thanks for the inspiration, guidance, and the tips.

[@shaunb93291]

Best advice for new riders, pedal through the turns and pick good lines. Not having to close 4 gaps a lap saves your legs.

[@Skaughtto]

When does EJ get a team and how beneficial would that be? Winning as a solo rider seems more difficult (not impossible) but it seems like the student in the masterclass could benefit from someone rolling with him. In addition to quality riding you are putting out high quality videos too 👏

[@jackmitho9847]

What a successful series already, so inspiring!!

[@thymenvuik8357]

There is a metaphor from when Tom Boonen was young, when he did exactly what EJ is doing now. His coaches told him one race to not get on the front once except for the last 100 meters. That race was the start of Tom Boonens winning spree. This might me a great idea for EJ as well. Might not make for great content, might not be as fun to race, might not even win the race since there is a breakaway. But it might be a good idea to get EJ to learn about what not doing efforts can do to your power

[@rickiovine2170]

As I kit-up for my ride I got invigorated watching this video. That young man who has just begun racing (and is already CAT 3) has a big engine. I could actually feel my HR going up as he took pulls, or closed gaps, and put out those huge efforts. My word. Yes, his tactics were not conducive to victory, but that’s all it is. With experience, and having that great coach who is kind enough to point out his mistakes for us, he is going to be the top rider on whatever team he joins when he hits CAT 1-2. All cyclists know what it feels like to do what he was doing. And, it was his second race. What a stud. He is an instinctive racer. Please don’t take that from him. He will learn by racing and racing some more. And, when he is part of the CAT 1-2 team he will have a role until he is the top gun. Playing that role will take a lot of pressure off of him because he is not trying to podium. He will be forced to do proper tactics to help his teammates, and he will learn.

[@obikedog]

Can't help thinking - if I only had the power to be in EJ land (and maybe 20 years younger wouldn't hurtl) instead of on my own in back of the pack land! Can't wait to see EJ put it all together and stick it to is crit-dad in a p1 race!

[@al-du6lb]

you need to get EJ an earbud with you on the other end coaching him live through the race. That would be so interesting to listen to in a video.

[@darrencarlton7517]

Love this! Awesome content! Excited to see the next installments 💪🏻🚴🏻‍♂️💪🏻

[@mstrasser]

BEAST MODE. and that shot at 22:08 is hilarious "oh there are more than 4 people in this race...cool cool cool"

[@EP-mn7eg]

The Return of the King! Love the content. Enjoying EJ’s journey from couch to crit.

[@crbondur]

Pretty amazing to think EJ hadn't even raced last season. So much improvement! Great work.

[@danielbasch4171]

EJ you’re doing awesome! Fun watching your journey unfold

[@lucperon9600]

You guys have created a weapon. Well done.

[@kevingregoire1042]

Great stuff, impressive, funny and learnfull. Not every dude leaving the couch ends up as big a power pony ! 💥 💥 💥 that EJ kid is fast 🤯 🐎 💨 Looks good from the couches!

[@niekversteege]

Haha weird coincidence: went from an Alex Dowsett video to this .. using the same intro song. It's been so much fun following this journey of EJ, getting me pumped to race!

[@charleslafontaine6213]

Killing it EJ!!

[@craigmnelson86]

EJ you are incredible to be able to sit through and get the feedback. It will only make you better :)

[@rontolentino2535]

Hope to see you at CBR. I'll be cheering from the sidelines.

[@mrmotomoto]

This dude’s progression has been insane: From a basic Allez to full on carbon super bike in no time. 😂

[@matchinu]

Brown out ahahah, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia reference, nice one Ej

[@joeyr4869]

I think I’m going into this season racing the 4s solo in CO more prepared because of you fellas. Thanks!

[@671james]

If we had a $1 for every time EJ says “hindsight is 20/20…” hoping as he rewatches this commentary that his hindsight says stop saying it every time🤣

[@julianb1550]

EJ's gonna build up his racing IQ over time and will be on team Mike's Bikes in no time.

[@xball89]

Cant wait to see EJ smashing Jeff!!

[@Rocketrecliner]

Geesh...I've never raced so I'm probably naïve to these kinds of conditions, but that road is where they choose to do a crit? Potholes, expansion breaks, wet areas, I think I even saw moss on the road, etc.. I would be white-knuckled just trying to stay in the draft of any of these guys without plowing into the back or side of them, but I've got to believe the road conditions make it that much worse. It adds an additional challenge I'm just not so sure needs to be there. Kudos to these guys for just staying upright. :)

[@matteodiluce9387]

Listen to what Jeff says. AND do what Jeff says. Man, EJ, who do you do all the work for? Definitely not yourself. You're hurting your chances being everybody's teammate and doing the hard work for them. How about this: Next race you have to be in the proper draft of the pack for at least half of the race. If you pull that off, you'll be fresh towards the finish. You are so strong! And you basically take that away from yourself. It's painful to watch ... especially all over again in the second race of the day.

[@manuelschroder517]

It's legit his first ever cat 3 race. Everyone makes mistakes and so does he. Have you ever played any sport and got told exactly what to do by your coach and still not managing to do so. It's normal, it's human behavior. It would honestly abnormal if he won and did perfect right away. EJ is extremly talented, you should just chill out.

[@matteodiluce9387]

@@manuelschroder517 Absolutely. I only mean well. Didn't say it was all crap. Just tried to drill in the things he has to learn. Better sooner than later. With his fitness he could go far and soon as long as he doesn't sabotage himself. Have I ever played any sport? Let me see, I am a 23-time national masters champion in a pack racing sport ... if that is any qualification ...

[@8584zender]

Look at this way, if you're putting together a team that already has a dedicated sprinter, having all this film on EJ as the guy who will chase down everything in the first half of the race might be nice.

[@matteodiluce9387]

@@8584zender There's so much good footage and commentary on KZbin from Jeff alone, you don't need a 'how not to do it'. And EJ appears to be such a nice guy. That makes the viewing even harder to bear.

[@reedaskey6065]

@@manuelschroder517 ​ Different categories exist for a reason, it’s to learn so when you move up your limit mistakes like this, it’s similar feedback each race and he seems to be not really getting it. There are cons to moving up too quickly, when he’s saying things like “I kind of blacked out” or “it’s all a blur” during races, that’s not a good thing. As a racer it’s scary to think the person in front or beside you is cruising along unable to be clear minded and make good decisions cause its a blur. It really is tough to watch, whether you want to admit it or not.

[@carlos_caracas]

Great race EJ, like to see more videos of your incredible strength.

[@Keschoo]

EJ with his hair and mustache looks like he is trolling those races and crush each one😂

[@enochmogusu8573]

EJ’s potential is just insane!

[@LoranMaes]

"but really bumpy, look at this pavement, it's even worse than it looks" *Me who rides in Belgium only having roads that are worse*

[@IzzyPerezCycling]

Hey Jeff, here's a thought. EJ wears one AirPods/earphone. You guys start a call before the race and you give him instructions while he's in it. That is, of course, if it's allowed.

[@keybird90]

Love the vibe of EJ

[@letriciabrowder2942]

Calling it now, EJ might get an invite to join Mike's Bikes, with a stellar recommendation from his awesome coach

[@yousifalhajery]

Im guessing with a season or two of experience, he would be a good catch for any team. Another year and he'll have an even higher FTP/sprint and more experience

[@Xukaiwen2]

The guy who won looks like he should be in a Marvel movie.

[@type2cycling]

The decision to make this race an hour hot off the 4/5 race ☠☠☠

[@benthilwind6908]

Quality , peeps keep saying bike racing is shit its boring, nothing better than this cheers chaps x

[@69skobie43]

Ok, so stage 6 of Paris-Nice get's cancelled. I'm bummed out, I need some bike entertainment. Wait a minute - what's EJ doing over at NorCal cycling. If you need entertainment and a smile put back on your face - EJ never let's the side down. keep going man - love it!

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

1:39 - dude on the right side with the blue jersey rocking the Magnum P.I moustache. Thats gotta be 3W of drag right there.

[@ROADRASHALLDAY]

I can wait to start racing when I graduate college.

[@quincywalker4441]

You should start classifying good solo skills with BSE(big solo energy)😂

[@prep1989]

always a fun watch, great job! Wish there was power in these legs to do the same. One question, I just got my first gopro, what software do you use to edit and add your metrics? Seems like there are not a lot of free options for working on files. Thanks and keep dropping the hammer

[@runwithme9643]

EJ, you need to be more selfish and less eager to please other riders. So much potential!! Loving the content

[@Ethan_Harnetty]

Next year couch to Tour de France well done EJ

[@mrwolf00001]

Hey EJ, for cornering either commit to the gutter or stay out of it, don’t ride the seam!

[@ROADRASHALLDAY]

Coach - be selective with chasing. EJ - so I took that personally.

[@reflectionsdetail]

He is racing like he needs a hard workout and not going for the win. It appears to me that all the corners you should be able to pedal through all of them and maintain a nice EF

[@chieuta8174]

Can't keep my eyes of this series. What a beast EJ Quick question: How do you guys get the W and BPM on screen? I would love to track my ride training for the crits in my country

[@frozenbean]

Imagine how much better crits will be when EJ gets scooped up by a team and has some teamies to help out.

[@katiegoad1635]

Guy with the long hair was in front of EJ a lot in the race, haha. Kind of hard to miss ;)

[@dominickbrookes5103]

Nice job EJ.

[@fwschnaar3179]

The advantage to a 1400watt jump, is EJ goes across Solo… At 350watts he’s Towing the Field 🤔🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️

[@benjaminnekvapil6020]

Can we get a "hindsight is 20/20 t shirt?

[@Ineedfwns]

“I can’t” 😂 😂😂

[@wylglen]

Can you implement lap countdown in future videos. Thanks

[@AnthonyLock92]

Good job dude, maybe time for some free watts with a aero lid, aero jersey or race suit.

[@zerokoolTV]

Can you make a video about gears? What gears you stay on in corners or are you changing gears all the time?

[@micheldecrock751]

EJ should start wearing the mikes bikes jersey

[@borasumer]

He is an awesome breakaway rider, he is just not aware of it lol.

[@fourdot00]

Crit daddy 😩

[@JamesDownes]

We need a rear camera guys so bad

[@gchesterton]

This is just proof that the brain shrinks to the size of a walnut while racing.

[@zachhughes8123]

I realize this is a somewhat subjective question, but with a sprinter’s perspective, what is a long enough/powerful enough pull to let a group know you’re committed to a breakaway or a chase?

[@matthall901]

I know all the Crit peeps will go crazy. But EJ. Get a TT bike. You would crush all those riders in an iTT. What you haven’t experienced in the Crit is shoulders and elbows. Riding off the front is easier than fighting in the group

[@mark-1234]

Somebody explain something to me, as I'm not familiar with the team aspect of this. Do teams score points or is it all individual rider scoring? If teams, then how do they balance out the differing numbers of riders. Obviously if a team has 6 to 8 riders in a race, they're going to have a significant advantage over those that only have a couple.

[@CycoWarriorx]

See you at CBR EJ… (not in that Cat race tho… 😂)

[@clintoncooper3427]

Rofl @ "E.J. Land"

Bros leveling up like he’s popping Rare Candies

[@Dustydayzz]

What's the outro song🎵?

[@JumpingWatermelons]

EJ is LEROOYYYYYYYY JENKINS

[@roebbiej]

Idea: get EJ a barbers appointment. He'll look better and lose less watts

[@Powerhauz]

Crit daddy? 😳🥹🥵

[@NM-zi2zv]

Seems EJ keeps wanting to be near the front for no good reason. Needs to conserve energy and be more selective on when to push harder.

[@georgehugh3455]

Have EJ do a Cat 4 race staying under 500W until the last lap

[@bknapp9728]

I am the consummate newbie to cycling. NorCal cycling is awesome for me to learn. I have a question...it appears cyclists and teams that easily qualify for Cat3 will ride/race Cat5. Would appear to make it more difficult for Cat5 riders to advance when continuously competing against more advanced riders? Just curious what others think?

[@nullvoid4226]

Cat 5 is over after 10 races. It's about similar experience riders together, not fitness

[@charliedillon1400]

That's called sandbagging.

[@nullvoid4226]

You aren't allowed to just race any category you want.

[@diegoeleazar9154]

You need to make a development team

[@petescott8259]

Need a rear camera!

[@okreidieh]

Are those flared handlebars? Narrower on the hoods? What are they?

[@charliedillon1400]

Recent trend in racing. Some of the World Tour guys are riding 38cm bars now, for aero gains.

[@okreidieh]

@@charliedillon1400 I meant are they narrower at the hoods than the drops? I saw trek are doing a similar handlebar for the new madone. I'm just wondering whether there are other similar aero style handlebars that we can purchase with that feature ( narrower hoods than drops)

[@Geebus77]

Dude, ej looks twice as smooth in the corners than he did 2 weeks ago.

[@Ejstrainingcamp]

working on it! Thank you!

[@ReVoltaire]

Suggest fewest layers on race days like most of you competition. Being overdressed for the condition leads to overheating fatigue and raises your HR unnecessarily. It may only be a couple percent handicap, but that can often be the difference between 1st and 2nd or even 13th and 3rd.

[@dylancurtis3336]

try the UK crits lol

[@cycledogg4]

OK, I have a serious question, how does a Cat. 5 racer jump up to a Cat. 3 in less than 10 race starts. I have been racing for over 8 years and never seen this according to USCF race rules?

[@BobIppolito]

Cat 5 -> 4 has been completely voluntary for the past few years, you don't need to race Cat 5 at all. The Cat 4 -> 3 upgrade was definitely below the point/win/race threshold but you can ask for an upgrade at any time and it's up to the discretion of the USAC to approve or deny it.

[@8584zender]

He's cat4 (5 is now "novice" and you can upgrade to 4 whenever you want). He raced a 3/4 race as a 4.

[@footballjamiemack]

Bruh, those hoods 😩

[@biedawo]

Cat's Hill?

[@francek5128]

this haircut costs EJ more watts then all watts he would save/gain if he would ride an aero bike compared to riding non-aero one🤣😂

[@SuccessfulOzzie]

How about EJ goes on a 6 months training camp specifically on drafting... nothing else, just drafting drafting drafting... then continue the series hey

[@theprincefrancisco8215]

Get a follow cam!!!!

[@zackdontattack]

"EJ beats Wout in stage 21 of the 2024 Tour de France"

[@samgooding-matthews3175]

Will someone please just sign E.J the man is dynamite 🧨 and with a team and a team captain can help keep him on course in race don’t have to chase everything if you have team mates in the group

[@soul3n]

Crit Daddy

[@jpvdw1961]

Come jump into a Cat2 track race.....

[@timbliss8777]

Love this series! EJ is killing it! What are you using for the overlay? VIRB is no longer working for me. Keep these coming.

[@Alan_Hans__]

The mane man got lost in EJ land :(

[@dubaicycling4900]

he is on fiirreeee

[@Foresthynes]

Crit daddy 😂